


A Little Light

by inu382



Series: Shuake Week 2020 [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Metaverse (Persona 5), Everyone is good in their own way, Good Akechi Goro, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Murder, Past Rape/Non-con, Shuake Week 2020, first time writing something serious, i guess, no beta we die like kamoshida, serial killer au, the phantom thieves of hearts! get it?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27606446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inu382/pseuds/inu382
Summary: Goro Akechi is trying his best to solve the Phantom Thieves case before any more people are murdered.His lovely boyfriend Akira Kurusu supports him every step of the way.#shuakeweek2020Day 2: Corruption / Masks / Games
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Shuake Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016988
Comments: 14
Kudos: 102





	A Little Light

Day 2: Corruption / Masks / Games

* * *

The bell tinkled in the doorway as the brunet detective walked in, sighing heavily. Akira glanced up with a smile, towel at the ready to help dry off the poor teen. He walked over and wrapped the towel around Goro Akechi’s head, toweling his hair dry as the other teen complained.

“ _Why_ did it have to rain today? Like my day isn’t bad enough,” the soft-spoken boy whined.

Akira chuckled. “C’mon, Detective Prince-san. I have some clothes upstairs you can change into. Go change and then tell me all about it.”

With a small, shy grin, Goro nodded, pecking Akira’s cheek as he walked by towards the attic room. Akira watched him go with a lovesick smile before dropping off the towel in the hamper in the bathroom and grabbing the mop to clean up the rainwater on the floor.

Goro blew him a kiss and ran upstairs, slipping off his shoes and changing into the spares Akira had left him. Since they’d started dating, it wasn’t unusual for Goro to stay the night with Akira, especially on rainy nights. Even without the excuse of rain, though, Goro was happy to sleep with Akira on nights like tonight. Once he was fairly dry and comfortable in Akira’s pajamas, Goro slipped on the extra pair of slides Akira bought for him and returned downstairs, sitting in his usual booth seat.

Already prepared, Akira swiftly served him hot chocolate instead of coffee. With a smirk, Akira dropped a few marshmellows into the sweet drink, then leaned over to kiss Goro on the lips chastely. Goro giggled, shoving Akira’s face away gently so he could enjoy his drink.

With a cup of his own, Akira rounded the counter and sat beside Goro, resting one of his legs on Goro’s chair. “So, tell me what happened today.”

The light mood evaporated from the room as Goro clenched his mug.

“It happened again.”

Akira frowned, brushing Goro’s hair behind his ear and resting his palm gently against Goro’s cheek. “Who was it this time?”

Goro grimaced. “He was abusing his girlfriend, evidently. Some guy named Uchimura. Someone put him on the Phantom Thieves’ request website and, sure enough…”

“…Was it bad?”

Goro shuddered. “They stabbed him through his hands and feet with sharpened rocks and crystals. Stuffed money in his mouth and wrote a message on the wall in blood. And then, like always, left pictures and documents full of proof about his crimes and...”

Akira’s lips tightened. “And the heart was removed?” Goro nodded. “I’m so sorry, Goro. I wish you didn’t have to see that.”

“The message was…was awful, Akira. It said, ‘the mission is not yet complete.’”

Akira’s brows drew together. “It sounds like they’re not done.”

“Unfortunately.”

Akira grabbed their mugs, depositing them in the sink to be washed later. With a weak smile, he grabbed Goro’s hand, turning off the lights as he pulled the older teen back upstairs. Morgana, Akira’s black cat, was already on the bed napping near Goro’s pillow. Akira pushed the brunet to the bed and turned off the attic lights, relying on the moonlight streaming from the window. The curly-haired teen wiggled under the covers with Goro, pulling the slightly taller boy close to him. Morgana stirred, meowing softly and huddling closer to Goro.

Goro sighed happily. “I’m glad I’m spending the night here tonight.”

“Me too. I can protect you like this.”

Goro chuckled. “ _I’m_ the detective, Akira. I should be protecting you.”

Akira pressed a kiss to Goro’s hair. “I’m just so worried, Goro…I’m worried you’ll get too close to figuring out who these people are and they’ll come after you. I wish you could stay with me every night.”

“Get a shower in here and I just might,” Goro yawned.

Akira kissed Goro’s neck, smiling. “I’ll work on that right away.”

“Love you, Akira,” Goro mumbled.

Akira hugged Goro closer. “I love you more.”

* * *

Despite the life he’d led, Goro Akechi liked to think he had an unwavering sense of justice. That’s why he strove so hard to become a detective, though his youth, good looks, and popularity quickly turned him into the “Detective Prince.” Regardless, Goro wanted to take on serious cases so he could truly make a difference in the world.

Unlike his father, Goro would be a force for good.

He never imagined attempting to solve a serial murderer case so early in his career.

The cases officially began near the beginning of 2016; the first official victim was Suguru Kamoshida. He was a disgusting pervert and abuser who beat his team into submission and frequently sexually harassed and assaulted his female students. One student, Shiho Suzui, nearly succeeded in her suicide attempt after Kamoshida had forced himself on her.

After Suzui’s hospitalization, Goro attempted to make a case against the man to bring him in. He was disappointed that the school had covered up so much and he was determined to bring Kamoshida to justice.

And then the calling card appeared.

It was posted on the bulletin board, warning Kamoshida that unless he admitted to his crimes of his own volition, they would be exposed. The card swore that the Phantom Thieves would steal his heart.

The other investigators had written it off as a prank, but something about the card disturbed Goro. He hadn’t been allowed on campus to investigate, but the pictures of the calling card were enough to evoke shivers in Goro. There was something especially malicious about the cards, a call to violence that Goro couldn’t ignore. No one took him seriously, however.

24 hours later, Suguru Kamoshida was dead.

No one found him until a week later; the morning of his approximate death, Kamoshida called into the school to take a leave of absence for one week. Over a week later, he still hadn’t returned and was not answering his phone. The school sent for a wellness check…and the police found the body.

Ropes from a volleyball net wrapped around his arms and legs, preventing any movement. From the marks on his body, he’d been bludgeoned repeatedly with various, round objects. Pictures of the girls he abused, the marks on them he’d left, and video evidence of him abusing Suzui were scattered around the body.

Finally, as they promised, there was an open cavity in Kamoshida’s chest, and his heart was gone.

Goro wasn’t sure if Kamoshida really was the first victim, because no other murderers matched the MO of this particular group—and Goro was _sure_ it was a group, because no one person could manage to pull off so many murders so well. It was clear that whoever was the leader of the operation was effective at corralling their cohorts well.

And Goro was convinced that, while there was a group committing these murders, there was a single mastermind behind how each person would be murdered and why. Goro was briefly worried that he may be dealing with a cult leader, but even they tended to get messy when they depended on others to do their work.

No, whoever this leader of the Phantom Thieves was, they were directly involved with every murder. The fact that the same knife seemed to be used to cut out each victim’s heart was proof to Goro, though his colleagues continued to write off his deductions.

With little access to the case, except when he managed to get ahead of the police, Goro did what he could to help but it was starting to feel like the Tokyo Police would rather let a group of mad people wreak havoc in Shibuya than be shown up by the “Detective Prince.”

* * *

Unfortunately for Goro, he attended Kosei High; he never regretted the choice before, because the school provided a scholarship program and dorm housing, plus a living stipend for students with especially high potential but problematic living situations. Now, though, Goro found himself wishing that he could attend Shujin Academy with Akira, if only to see his boyfriend occasionally in the halls.

Akira Kurusu was special, Goro was sure of it. They met coincidentally at a TV taping of Goro’s, where he met Akira’s friends Ann and Ryuji, and Akira’s cat Morgana. For whatever reason, Akira chose to take the cat almost everywhere with him, but Goro found it endearing. As Akira had explained it later, Morgana was a stray that Akira took in when he came to Tokyo. Goro could understand why Akira might identify with the cat, after his probation sentence.

Some people had been thinking that the Phantom Thieves were providing divine punishment on Kamoshida and Madarame, and Goro had disagreed with the method during the interview. Though Akira clearly condemned the murders, he questioned if the motives weren’t a result of a public dissatisfaction with police ineptitude. Intrigued, Goro approached the teen at the end of the show and they quickly became friends. By the next month, they were dating.

In that one month, they’d already practically spent every day together. In hindsight, all their hangouts were clearly dates—Goro took Akira to the aquarium so he could see those beautiful gray eyes amongst the other worldly lights of the giant tanks; Akira strolled with Goro at night through the park and preparing a surprise picnic; Goro took Akira to his favorite jazz bar so they could chat to live music in the only place Goro could be himself; and Akira, ever the romantic, took Goro to the planetarium and played beautiful music so they could waltz under the galaxy.

They talked about everything—Goro’s past, Akira’s conviction, their families and lack thereof, their differing views on justice, and their hopes for the future. No one in the world knew Goro the way Akira did.

By the end of June, Goro was thoroughly in love.

His only, tiny regret was that, between his fervor to solve the Phantom Thieves’ case and his excitement at spending time with Akira, he’d unfortunately driven away his first friend, Hifumi. After Akira officially asked him out, Goro had begged off another date—sadly—so that he could spend time with Hifumi again. Unfortunately, Hifumi refused and asked Goro not to ask her again.

Shocked and hurt, Goro turned to Akira who assured the brunet that, if Hifumi had never been cruel before, she must have a reason. Assured by his sweet boyfriend, Goro confronted the shogi player.

Goro’s heart was soothed when Hifumi explained she was just worried that Goro was getting too involved in the murder case and putting himself in danger. She explained that, as a friend, she just couldn’t support him putting himself in harm’s way so recklessly. Goro was still sad, but he understood.

Nowadays, it felt like Akira was his only friend, but Goro didn’t mind. Akira was attentive and sweet; he never minded Goro’s excessive text messages and even encouraged Goro to send more; and soon after they became official, Akira opened the door to his small room, inviting Goro to stay with Akira as often as possible.

Goro had just barely turned 18, but on the days he walked through Kichijoji to go home—though they were becoming fewer and farther in between—he always found himself glancing at the jewelry store, wondering what Akira’s ring size was.

* * *

“Hey, kid,” Sojiro Sakura greeted as Goro walked in. “I see you so often, you might as well live here.”

Goro tittered. “I can’t help that you make such amazing coffee, Sakura-san.”

“For the millionth time, just call me Boss,” Sojiro huffed, but the smile on his lips betrayed him. “Besides, we both know you don’t just come here for coffee.”

Goro blushed, prompting Sojiro to chuckle. “Akira’s not here yet. House blend today?”

Goro nodded, pulling out the case files he “borrowed” so that he could continue working. Sojiro, ever considerate, placed the steaming cup of coffee near Goro’s left hand and left Goro to his work. After about an hour and a half of reading and making notes, the bell jingled and Goro raised his head, smiling wide at the sight of his boyfriend. “Akira! Welcome home.”

“I’m home, honey,” Akira greeted, quickly striding over to wrap an arm around Goro’s waist and pull the brunet into a kiss.

“Hey! Take it upstairs! I’ve got customers!” Sojiro chided through his smile.

Akira stuck his tongue out as his guardian, but dutifully collected Goro’s attaché case and files and preceded the brunet to the attic room. Goro took his coffee cup, carefully holding the saucer with his right hand as he held the cup in his left.

Akira set the attaché case and his bag on the couch, letting Morgana out of his daily carrier. Once the cat was loose and running back downstairs to beg food from Sojiro, Akira cleared the nightstand so Goro could set his coffee down. The porcelain barely touched the wood, and Goro felt arms wrap around his waist. He laughed as Akira fell back on the bed, dragging the brunet down on top of him. Once they landed, Goro twisted around until he was straddling Akira.

“Oh, Detective Prince-san~” Akira purred. “Am I under arrest?”

Goro smirked down at him. “You _have_ been misbehaving, Kurusu.”

“No funny business up there!” Sojiro suddenly called.

Akira tossed his head back, laughing loudly as Goro collapsed on Akira, hiding his face in the curly-haired teen’s chest. “I can’t believe I forgot about Sakura-san,” he groaned.

“I’m just that distracting?” Akira hummed, kissing the crown of Goro’s head.

Goro lifted his head slightly, peering through his bangs to glare at Akira. “You really are. I was making good progress on my work before you came in.”

“Oh, sorry, honey,” Akira didn’t sound sorry at all. “Work later. Let me make it up to you.”

Goro snorted. “I think we’ll have to wait until closing for that.”

Akira squeezed Goro and sat up, causing the brunet to quickly wrap his arms around Akira’s shoulders. Straddling Akira’s lap, Goro pouted down at his boyfriend, but Akira was quick to kiss it away.

“Goro,” Akira whispered as he pulled away, “if I asked you to do something important for me, would you do it?”

Eyes closed in bliss, Goro smiled against Akira’s lips. “Anything, Akira.”

“Really? Anything?”

Goro nodded, peeking one eye open to look at Akira. Gunmetal gray eyes, somehow warm despite their cool color, stared back. Goro felt Akira’s lips pull into a smile against his.

“Will you look into Sojiro for me?”

Goro tensed and jerked back slightly. “Sakura-san? Why?”

Akira’s hands tightened on Goro’s hips. “I want to be sure of something. I’ve been hearing some bad rumors, but I want to be sure they’re not true. As a detective, you can look into his background, right?”

Goro’s eyes flicked away as he bit his lip, but a hand on his chin drew his eyes back to Akira.

“Please, honey? I want to be sure someone is safe.”

Goro softened, allowing himself to be drawn back to Akira for another kiss. When they pulled away, Goro nodded, reassured.

Of course, Akira was just looking out for someone. He’d never ask Goro to break the rules for anything less than someone’s safety.

“Okay, Akira. Count on me.”

“I love you so much, Goro. I knew I could trust someone as amazing as you.”

Goro flushed, hugging Akira and hiding his face in Akira’s shoulder. The shorter teen’s chest rumbled with his laughter as he hugged the brunet tightly.

“I love you, too, Akira.”

* * *

“Akira!” Goro called. Across the crowded station, Akira stood surrounded by his school friends that he’d amassed. Goro wondered how Akira was so good at keeping friends when they spent all their time together, but Goro already knew that Akira was friendly and charismatic. Besides, after talking to Akira again, Goro realized that Hifumi was right—his job could potentially put people in danger.

It was almost more than Goro could stand, knowing that he could put Akira at risk by association, but Akira insisted that nothing could separate them.

Akira turned around immediately, smiling wide and grasping the taller teen’s hand as soon as Goro was close enough. Goro smiled kindly at the others, surprised to see Makoto Niijima as one of Akira’s new friends.

“Niijima-chan! It’s been a while. How are you?”

Makoto gave a wobbly smile, but Goro figured it was normal. He and Makoto had never really gotten along before, but being with Akira had made Goro more charitable.

“I’m good, Akechi-kun. Congratulations on your exam scores.”

“Were his scores high or somethin’?” Ryuji asked.

Akira beamed with pride. “The highest in the nation. No one is smarter than my Goro.”

Goro blushed and ducked his head. “ _Akira_ ,” he whined.

Ann giggled and clapped at them. “You two are so cute! We should all hang out together! I never see Akira smile this much.”

Goro blinked, glancing at Akira, who smiled back at him. Goro’s lips lifted into a tentative grin as well. Despite himself, Goro was a bit jealous that Akira had friends who could occupy Akira’s time when Goro was at work. Knowing that Goro made Akira so happy soothed a bit of the envy.

“Hey, yeah, we should totally hang out!” Ryuji cheered. “You must have so many cool stories! Have you seen a dead body before??”

Akira chuckled. “We should arrange something, but now that my boyfriend’s found me, I think I’d rather spend the day with him.”

Yusuke Kitagawa, Goro’s underclassman, held up his hands in a frame with Goro and Akira in the center. “Are you sure you cannot stay a few moments longer? I believe I want to paint the two of you.”

Goro blushed and shook his head as Akira laughed. “Sorry, Yusuke. The only sanctioned pictures of Goro are the ones on his insta and the ones I’m allowed to take.”

“Pity.”

“Let’s all meet in LeBlanc tomorrow, guys,” Akira smiled and intertwined his fingers with Goro’s as he began to lead the brunet back to Yongen-Jaya. “Stand by until then.”

They all nodded and cheerfully said goodbye to the couple. Goro allowed himself to be lead away, puzzling over Akira’s odd request. They found an empty corner of the packed train to stand. Akira guided Goro into the space and bracketed his arms around the brunet.

“Akira? Why did you tell them to…stand by? Like…a command?”

Akira smiled indulgently at Goro. “We’ve been playing PUBG a lot together and I somehow end up being the leader every time. We thought it’d be cool if we use language like that, so we’re like a real team. Although, Makoto doesn’t really like playing so much as strategizing for us while she watches.”

Goro chuckled. “That sounds like Niijima-chan. I didn’t know you played games.”

Akira pouted. “I have to do something while you’re at work all day.”

Goro covered his mouth with his hand as he giggled. With a grin, Akira grabbed the hand and drew it away, quickly placing a kiss on Goro’s knuckles. “Don’t hide your smile from me, honey. You’re too cute for that.”

Goro’s head fell back as he blushed. “ _Akira_ , how do you say stuff like that so easily?”

“Because it’s true.”

They exited the train after a few stops, talking about their day and their classes. Before they could turn down the street towards LeBlanc, Goro tightened his hand on Akira’s and led the teen to a small alley near the coffee shop that was secluded enough. Akira blinked at him, but never questioned Goro.

“Akira…that thing you wanted me to look into?”

The curly-haired teen perked up. “Did you find something?”

Goro hummed, tilting his head as he recalled. “Sakura-san was definitely some kind of government agent, but he abruptly left after a close friend of his died of mysterious causes. If I had time, I’d investigate the friend’s death, because it struck me as highly suspicious.

However, Sakura-san is not responsible for that friend’s death. He also sought after and found that friend’s daughter, a Futaba Isshiki, and adopted her. When I dug into her, I found that she was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia. She’d evidently been passed around to abusive family members until Sakura-san found her…saved her, really.”

Akira’s shoulders slumped in relief. “So, he was helping Futaba, not abusing her.”

Goro nodded. “You know about Futaba-chan?”

“He mentioned her once by accident and then refused to tell me more. Some prosecutor came to harass him about her and accused him of abuse.”

Goro’s eyes softened. “And you wanted to be sure Sakura-san was innocent.”

“Well, if anyone should know about bad prosecutors, it’d be me.”

Goro hugged Akira tightly. Akira wrapped his own arms around Goro just as tight.

“Thank you, Goro. I knew I could count on you.”

“Of course, Akira. If you ever need anything, ask me. I’m sorry I doubted you for even a second.”

Akira chuckled. “Don’t be, Goro. Anyone would be skeptical. It just means my boyfriend’s too smart to be manipulated.”

“Flatterer.”

* * *

Goro frowned as he watched TV. Medjed challenging the Phantom Thieves to either reveal themselves or be revealed by the group was worrying. Goro didn’t want to know how the thieves would retaliate, but he wasn’t a fan of the former hacktivist group, either. So far, the only bright side to the drama was that there hadn’t been a murder yet that month. It seemed that Medjed had truly distracted the thieves for the moment.

“Don’t frown, beautiful,” Akira chided, pressing a kiss to the crease between Goro’s eyebrows. Goro snorted, smiling as he pushed Akira away.

“Go tend to your customers,” Goro replied.

“Yes, do that,” Sojiro interjected and Goro laughed at the pout on Akira’s face.

Suddenly, the door opened and a small, orange-haired girl sporting large headphones on her slim neck waltzed into the store. Sojiro’s jaw dropped open.

“F-Futaba!” he cried.

“Futaba-chan?” Goro questioned. He glanced at Akira, but the teen just beamed at Futaba proudly. Goro smiled softly at Akira’s expression, realizing that Akira clearly had a hand in the tearful reunion happening between Futaba and Sojiro in front of them.

Somehow, Akira helped Futaba confront her demons and drew her back into the real world. Akira truly was a marvel. As if sensing he was being watched, Akira turned towards Goro and tilted his head in question. With a grin, Goro leaned forward and kissed Akira square on the lips.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered when he pulled away.

“Thank you,” Akira mumbled back. “What’d I do?”

Goro laughed, kissing Akira again. When he drew away, it took every bit of his fortitude not to jump in his chair when he noticed Futaba standing directly beside them.

“So, you’re the wife,” Futaba said to Goro with no preamble, unheeding of Goro’s sputtering. “Akira wouldn’t shut up about you. I feel like I know you know by now. Not wanting to hear any more about you was half the reason I left my room.”

The brunet flushed deeply, but he smiled shyly at Akira. Akira returned the look with a lovesick smile of his own.

“Ugh, you two are so gross. Anyway, I need to do some work. Akira, you want to help me?”

Akira sighed long-sufferingly, but nodded, pulling off his apron. He didn’t fold it though; he draped the apron around Goro’s neck. “Learn how to make coffee for me, honey?”

Goro stuttered a yes and moved to hide behind Sojiro, watching a laughing Akira and a gagging Futaba walk out of the store. Sojiro sighed as well, shaking his head with a fond smile. “Those kids will be the end of me…Well, let’s get started, Akechi.”

It took a surprisingly long time to get coffee just right, apparently, and by the end of the two-hour mini lesson, Sojiro finally declared Goro’s coffee as ‘acceptable’. They toasted the final product and drank coffee. Goro wondered how long it would take Akira to help Futaba with that project when Sojiro suddenly spoke up.

“Akira’s a really good kid. I wish I wasn’t so hard on him when he first moved here.”

Goro’s smile was gentle. “He really is amazing, isn’t he?”

Sojiro raised his cup to Goro. “You take good care of him. You’re a really good kid, too, Akechi. As far as I’m concerned, Akira is family now. And if this relationship keeps going the way I see it going, I’ll be glad to welcome you to the Sakura family as well.”

Goro’s eyes filled with tears and he nodded furiously, trying to talk around the knot in his throat. “Of-of course, Sakura-san.”

“ _Boss_ , kid.”

“Right…Boss.”

Akira returned a few minutes later and convinced Goro to spend the night. The next morning, Goro woke to alerts that Medjed’s members’ secrets had been exposed and that a large number of them had committed suicide.

On the Medjed website, the Phantom Theives’ logo was large and ominous.

* * *

The card was tossed on Goro’s desk. The brunet blinked at it then whipped his head up, staring at Sae’s ashen face.

“I received a calling card,” she announced.

After Kunikazu Okumura’s brutal murder, Goro had finally begun to narrow down the suspects. He theorized that there were far more members to the team than he’d initially thought or—more frighteningly—the group grew with each murder committed. If that were the case, the pool of suspects was small and, if Goro thought logically, fairly obvious.

But _how_? _Why_? There was simply no way that it was them…

If that was true, that would mean that Haru Okumura took part in her own father’s…

Goro shook his head, refocusing on Sae’s calling card. Like the others before it, it demanded that Sae admit her own crimes of envy or her heart would be stolen in 24 hours.

“I might be able to catch them if I use myself as bait.”

Goro glared at her. “Absolutely not, Sae-san.”

“You seem to forget who the superior officer here is.”

“You seem to forget that you have a little sister who could be drawn into this, too!”

Sae flinched as though she was struck. “Makoto…”

“Please, Sae-san. Get protection for the night. Find somewhere else to stay. I promise, I’m very close to solving this, but I won’t be able to focus if you’re in danger.”

Sae sighed. “Okumura got the best protection money could buy and he was still murdered. We both know having a police escort will do nothing.”

Goro grit his teeth. “Then…then give in! Do what they tell you! Whatever crimes you’ve committed, admit them!”

Sae turned away, crossing her arms. “I can’t do that.”

“Sae-san, _please!_ ”

“I forged evidence, Akechi!” she yelled. “I knew that man was guilty, but they weren’t taking me seriously and they were impeding my fucking case, so I forged evidence! But a monster is behind bars now and I don’t regret it! If I admit I forged evidence, that disgusting molester will be out on the street on a false trial charge, and he’ll go right back to hurting people!”

“Sae-san…” Goro muttered.

“…And the other one…he harassed me when I first became a prosecutor. Touched me when I walked by. Did it to all the women here, but one time he tried to…to exchange a promotion for a _favor_.”

Goro gripped his arm so that he wouldn’t reach out to her.

“I didn’t do it, and it set me back years. But when that sexual assault claim against him came up, I saw an opportunity for revenge.” Steely gray eyes met Goro’s. “I don’t regret that for a second. But if I tell the truth, _he_ gets out. _He_ gets vindicated. I can’t allow that, Akechi.”

Sae sighed, brushing her long hair back. Bravely, she offered him a smile and clapped his shoulder with her hand. “It’s been an honor working with you, Akechi-kun. You’re going to be an amazing detective one day. I truly hope that you are able to make the change you want to make in this rotten system.” She hugged him quickly, then turned on her heel and walked away, her shoulders straight and proud.

Goro watched her walk further and further. Just as she collected her briefcase and reached the elevator, Goro’s heart restarted.

If…If it _was_ who he suspected…there was possibly _one_ way to keep Sae safe.

“Sae-san, wait!” She turned, thankfully, not quite on the elevator yet. He grabbed his own attaché case and ran to catch up with her. “I…I have an idea.” The gray-haired woman raised a brow, but she nodded. Goro could tell by the line of her shoulders, though, that she was relieved she might live another night.

Although Kunizaku Okumura was killed as scheduled, there was one small incident after him where the Phantom Thieves had sent a calling card to a potential victim and, apparently, missed their own deadline. A stroke of bad luck resulted in the man’s roommate coming home too soon—he never saw the thieves clearly, could only describe vague costumes—and the thieves escaped. 24, 48, 96 hours later, they did not return for their target. The proof of the man’s crimes they left behind were enough to convict him, but the man lived to serve out his sentence.

Goro believed, if he could just keep Sae alive for the next 24 hours, the thieves were not likely to strike again. But his plan was risky. First, they had to go to where the thieves were most likely to strike—Sae’s apartment.

Makoto didn’t question much when Goro appeared, apologizing for only having made enough dinner for two and ordering takeout for Goro. Sae apologized, but it seemed she had a craving for takeout as well and joined Goro instead of eating Makoto’s dinner. Makoto took it in stride, but did appear curious that Goro insisted on sleeping over. Sae was determined to keep the calling card a secret from Makoto, so Goro pretended that he wasn’t feeling well.

Goro waited, wide awake, for an hour after Makoto went to bed. Quietly, he snuck into Sae’s room to act out the third part of his plan.

Awkward though it was, especially with the mountain of pillows and blankets stuffed between them as a makeshift wall, Goro and Sae climbed into Sae’s bed and faced away from each other, awake and waiting to see if the thieves would strike.

Goro was working on two possible hypotheses: 1) the thieves never killed anyone beyond their intended target and they never killed witnesses. They were very good at never being seen, but if they saw Sae wasn’t alone, she may be spared. Or, 2) the thieves were exactly who Goro had begun to suspect and, hopefully, would be unable to kill Goro if he protected Sae.

Two hours later, a large black shadow appeared at Sae’s window. Somehow, the figure picked the window lock and slid it open quietly. Moments later, five more figures entered through the doorway.

“Always the showoff, Joker,” a familiar voice muttered, and Goro wondered how was the same voice that, just last week, excitedly told him about a new crepes place.

Joker, evidently the one who came in through the window, didn’t reply. As one, they congregated around the bed until—

“Shit, he’s in the bed with her,” another authoritative voice said.

“Do we go through with this?” a high, soft voice asked. “Your call, Joker.”

A voice that Goro hoped he’d never hear replied: “Do it.”

Goro flew up, covering Sae’s body with his own. “Don’t!” he cried.

The Phantom Thieves drew back, using the shadows to hide their faces. Their costumes were elaborate, but generally dark to hide well. They all also wore masks, but the two blond members’ hair was distinctive enough that Goro recognized them immediately.

Besides, Joker’s voice was unmistakable.

Sae, too, seemed to have recognized one of the thieves. “Makoto…?” She sat up, hugging Goro to her chest as if to protect him. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“She’s awake, Queen?” Joker questioned, glowing silver eyes unmistakable and sliding towards Makoto’s figure.

“She refused to eat the food I made.” Makoto tsked. “They can’t stay alive now, Joker. They’ve recognized us.”

Goro’s eyes were locked on the so-called Joker. The man stood there, long black coat and curly black hair illuminated by the moonlight. The white mask on his face did nothing to hide his piercing, suddenly cold gray eyes.

“Akira…” the brunet whispered.

“Goro,” Akira—no, _Joker_ —replied in a hard voice. “Any particular reason you’re in a bed with another woman?”

Goro glared, finding his courage. “You were going to kill her!”

“ _And_?”

“And I couldn’t let that happen, Akira! What are you doing, killing people? Killing _Sae-san_? Niijima-chan, how can you be okay with killing your own sister? Okumura-chan, you too!”

The girl in a hat and fluffy hair stared at him with flinty eyes. “How could I kill the father that was going to sell me to a disgusting man for his own political gain? That was actively selling my virginity? It’s not as hard as you think, Akechi-kun.”

Makoto, too, scoffed. “You think _she_ cares about justice? She just cares about _winning_. The system will never change with people like her at the helm.” Makoto’s voice was suddenly full of emotion. “If she cared…she’d be chasing the guys who killed dad, not some lowlifes who couldn’t afford bail.”

“You heard them, honey,” Akira chuckled, but it was nothing like the warm laughter Goro loved to hear. It was heartless and stabbed at Goro’s chest. “They saw no other way out other than this. Now, be good for me and move aside so we can finish our job.”

“I can’t…I can’t do that, Akira. If you want to kill Sae-san, you’ll have to—”

Goro squawked as he was pushed aside and scrambled to grab the sleeve of Sae’s sleep shirt as the woman stepped out of the bed. Unfortunately, he felt a hand grab at the collar of his shirt, yanking him back into Joker’s chest. Arms like steel wound around Goro, pinning him to Joker.

“No, Akechi-kun,” Sae said softly. “I won’t let you die for me. I made the choices I made because I believed in them. If I’m going to die for those beliefs, then so be it.” Sae, spine like steel, faced her would-be murderers. “Do what you will…and then leave Akechi alone.”

Joker chuckled again. “I can respect that, Sae Niijima. We’ll make sure you have a dignified death.”

“Whatever you say, Joker,” Ryuji snickered, playing with his bat. “Maybe you should handle this, Noir.”

Haru lifted her axe. “With pleasure, Skull.” She walked towards Sae and swung.

“No, wait!” Goro cried, struggling to get out of Joker’s arms, rushing to be heard. “Sae is still just, she just does questionable things to get the correct result! It’s not Sae-san that’s wrong! It’s the system! Why target a symptom of the problem instead of the problem itself? Isn’t Sae-san just like all of you!?”

“Noir, stop,” Joker commanded, and the axe stopped inches from Sae’s face. To her credit, Sae didn’t even flinch.

Joker leaned closer to Goro, biting at his ear. “Explain, Goro.” Goro shuddered but managed to collect himself again. “Sa-Sae san only forged evidence when the people were going to get-get away. Like what you do, right? We-We didn’t work fast enough to see something was wrong with Kamoshida, or Madarame, or Kaneshiro. So, you had to step in. And wouldn’t it be useful to have someone like Sae on your side, who has more clearance than me? She-she could give you more targets to take out—people who escaped the law that not even she can prosecute.”

As Goro spoke, Joker mouthed down his neck. Goro felt an odd mix of revulsion and arousal, his cheeks flushing as his body responded to Joker’s gentle kisses.

“And you think Niijima-san is willing to work with us, honey?”

Sae looked ready to refuse but Goro interrupted her. “Sae-san, please. Think of Niijima-chan. Even if she’s here, doing this…you can’t leave her alone. Don’t leave her like my mother left me. You _know_ what happened to me.” Sae stared at him, the rigid line of her shoulders abating somewhat. “Think about it…it-it makes sense that Niijima-chan feels betrayed. Have you been paying attention to her? Have you been there for her? The other day, didn’t you tell me you said something awful to her, about her being a useless burden?”

Sae shuddered, hugging herself with her arms. “I… I didn’t say _useless_ …I didn’t mean to say that…”

“Then make it right, Sae-san. _Support_ Niijima-chan. Don’t turn away from her. If you love her…aren’t you supposed to love _all_ of her?” Sae teetered, and Goro could see he only needed to push a bit more.

Hating himself, Goro decided to use his last weapon. “Please, Sae-san…it’s not just Niijima-chan who needs you. You’re the only one in that office that believes in me. Please don’t leave me alone, too.”

She cracked.

Sae buried her face in her hands and nodded. She looked up at Makoto. “If I do this…if I join you…will you forgive me for neglecting you and dad?”

Makato’s posture softened. “Sis…”

“I’m so sorry you thought you had to resort to this, Makoto. If this…if this is the only way to help you and Akechi…so be it. Your secret is safe with me.”

Makoto let out a cry and rushed to her sister, hugging her tightly. Sae hugged her back. Goro sagged in Joker’s arms, sighing in relief. Until Joker spoke again.

“Let’s go home, Goro.”

* * *

Makoto drove them back to LeBlanc, and he and Akira climbed into the room through the attic window. Morgana, who seemed to have been standing watch by the stairs, meowed at them and then retreated to the café proper.

Joker stripped off the coat, gloves, shoes, and mask and suddenly Joker was becoming Akira again. Some of the tension Goro felt bled out of him, but he still watched the other teen warily.

“Does…Does Boss know about this?” Goro asked softly.

Akira smirked, pulling off the vest. “Of course, he does. Futaba, too. She’s been invaluable as support.”

Goro shook his head slowly, eyes wide. “So, all of you are in on this…”

Akira, finally in his pajamas, sat beside Goro on the bed and wrapped an arm around the brunet. Goro tensed, refusing to be drawn towards Akira, and the dark-haired teen allowed him his space. “I wanted to bring you in sooner, Goro, but I was worried you wouldn’t understand.”

“And I understand now?” Goro turned stony garnet eyes towards Akira. “Is that it?”

“Don’t you?” Akira hummed, tilting his head. It wasn't cute, like Goro was used to. It was reptilian; a predator sizing up its prey. “Didn’t you say it yourself when you made your case for Niijima-san? She’s just like us—having to work outside the system because the system failed us.”

Akira reached under the bed and pulled out a red mask. It was similar in shape to his own, white mask, but the nose was elongated to a sharp point.

“I made this one for you.”

“W-Why?” Goro whispered, staring at the mask’s empty eyes.

Akira chuckled, low and cruel. “Because you and I are the same. We have the same gift to help people see the truth—to convince them of what is right. You seek out the truth unwaveringly.” He gently stabbed the point of the mask to Goro’s chest. “Until you’ve pierced every lie.”

Goro breathed shallowly. “Akira…”

Akira placed the mask back under the bed, then gently cradled Goro’s face in his hands. “Don’t you still love me? Or was that a lie?”

“No!” Goro cried, surprised at his own vehemence. “Of course I love you! I…I got a ring.”

Akira _beamed_. “You did?”

Goro flushed, glancing away. “Boss…Boss mentioned that he would be okay with me joining the family and I thought…”

Akira cooed, leaning in to brush his lips against Goro’s cheek. “Oh, honey, you got my dad’s approval.”

Goro shoved Akira away, standing up. “But this is wrong, Akira! You’re all murderers! You—You somehow convinced all these people that any of this was okay! You got _me_ to convince _Sae-san_ that _any_ of this was okay! You lied to me and manipulated me!”

Akira frowned but stared up at Goro with his wide, gray eyes. “Goro, I promise…I only lied to you to because I was worried you wouldn’t understand, and you would leave before I could figure out how to explain it. If…if this kind of thing isn’t already _in_ a person, it seems wrong to them. But I never manipulated you, you know that. I just love you so much, Goro—even though I thought you might never understand, I just couldn’t let you go.”

A wide, _deranged_ smile stretched across Akira’s face as he rose slowly, approaching Goro as the brunet carefully retreated. “But you _do_ understand, don’t you, honey? That’s why you helped Sae-san. That’s why, even though you could’ve trapped us, you didn’t. That’s why you’re here with me instead of making some excuse to leave and turn me in.”

Goro swallowed, eyes flitting between Akira and the stairs. “You’d let me leave?”

Akira’s smile softened to something loving, but the alarms ringing danger in Goro’s head only sounded louder. “I’d never keep you trapped, Goro. I love you too much for that.”

Akira caught Goro against the shelf of knickknacks—the irony not lost on Goro—and hugged the brunet gently. “I’m _trusting_ you, Goro. You’re all I have…and I’m all _you_ have, right? Without me…you’ll be all alone.”

That brought Goro up short.

“If you turn me in…that means me, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, Boss, Niijima-san…all of us get sent away.”

Goro slumped against Akira.

“I won’t be able to be with you, honey. And poor Futaba…after everything she’s been through, could she even survive juvenile detention?”

Goro hesitantly shook his head.

“Oh, and what will people _say_? The Detective Prince is so, _so_ smart, but he couldn’t figure out that the mastermind was his _boyfriend_? Those awful people won’t understand how hard I worked to keep you innocent…they’ll just blame you for not finding me faster. Is that even _fair_? After you worked _so hard_ to get them to listen to you?”

The brunet shuddered, arms wrapping around Akira and grasping tight at his shirt.

“And isn’t there just _one_ person you _really_ want to exact justice upon? _One person_ who keeps escaping the law? No matter how diligent you are; no matter how clever you are; no matter how well you play their game…it doesn’t matter if that _one person_ isn’t even playing, does it?”

“A-Akira…” Goro gasped, voice shivery.

“ _Trust me_ , honey,” Akira soothed, running his hand through Goro’s hair. “ _I’m_ here for you. _I’m_ all you need and you’re all _I_ need. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. Let someone take care of you, for once. Let _me_.”

Goro buried his face in Akira’s shoulder, sobs wracking his body. Akira gently led him back to the bed, petting Goro’s hair and whispering sweet encouragements to Goro as the brunet wept. He laid them down and cradled Goro to his chest.

“Akira…” Goro breathed, “Would you really let me leave? Anytime?”

Akira smiled sadly down at Goro. “It would destroy me, but of course.”

Goro nodded, leaning up to kiss Akira chastely, then stood up from the bed. Akira sat up, watching Goro closely. Cautiously, Goro collected his things and walked out of the attic. He glanced back once.

Akira looked heartbroken, but he stayed still on the bed, and didn’t object once.

Goro left.

* * *

Goro withdrew from the police force.

The rumor among the police was that Goro was there when Sae was attacked and what he saw traumatized him so much, he couldn’t deal with it anymore. Sae taking a long leave of absence after receiving a calling card seemed to cement the idea that, whatever Goro and Sae witnessed the night of her attempted murder, it was truly awful.

Goro floated aimlessly for days. He still went to school and applied for colleges, as he had planned, but without the police force, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to continue criminal justice. Without the many cases he worked to solve, his days were empty and horrifically free.

Hifumi was the only person he had attempted to befriend, but she continued to avoid him. He hadn’t made any other friends, everyone else avoided him now, and he was…

Lonely.

He hadn’t realized how much time Akira took up—talking with Akira, spending time in LeBlanc, getting to know Futaba and Boss, slowly getting closer to Akira’s group of friends…

Akira was his whole world and now it was gone.

Yusuke, oddly, continued to greet Goro in the halls, but respected Goro’s space and didn’t attempt to talk to him beyond that. Akira, too, respected Goro’s choice and made no efforts to beg for Goro to come back. He even managed to avoid Goro at the train station.

Goro felt untethered and vacillated between wanting to be with Akira and wanting to do what he knew was right. He _knew_ he should turn them in, but all he could remember were Futaba’s bright smiles when she showed Goro how to play a game; Boss’ gentle reassurances; Morgana’s purr when Goro allowed the cat on his lap; Sae’s encouragement when a case was hard; Ann’s laughter when she painted his nails; Ryuji’s admiration at the cases Goro had solved; Yusuke’s strange but interesting observations; the friendly rivalry he formed with Makoto; and Haru’s deceptively acerbic wit.

More than anything, Goro would stare at the ring he left on his nightstand, thinking about Akira’s smile, his kisses, his warmth.

If Goro was doing the right thing…why did he feel so empty?

More and more, Goro realized that Akira was _right_. Hadn’t the police failed everyone? How many more students would have been hurt by Kamoshida? How many more pupils would have committed suicide under Madarame? How many more teens would be trafficked by Kaneshiro? Who else would Okumura have sold for his ambitions?

And, they hadn’t killed indiscriminately! Goro didn’t think Sae’s crimes warranted death, but Goro could understand—she was the first person to threaten Akira’s found family. It’s hard to be rational in a situation like that. But they believed Goro, trusted his judgement, when it came to sparing Sae. They _listened_ to him.

…When had the police force ever listened to him? Even when he’d been proven right again and again.

Goro wavered, finding himself walking the familiar path to Yongen Jaya over and over. And then, one day, he fell.

* * *

“So, Shido is the guy who got you on probation!?” Ryuji’s characteristically loud voice exclaimed as Goro pulled the door open.

“Discrete as ever, Sakamoto-kun,” Goro deadpanned.

The thieves, sitting at their usual booth, all turned and gaped at Goro. Sojiro and Sae, who stood by the bar were also there, staring at the brunet.

No one looked as shocked as Akira, though.

Goro cleared his throat and waved shyly with a small smile. “Hi? I…I have a request? But it sounds like you may be thinking along similar lines.”

“Akechi?” Sojiro muttered. “But I locked the door.”

Goro flushed. “I…may have picked the lock.”

“Goro!” Akira suddenly cried, rushing forward. He stopped just before enveloping Goro in his arms, however. “Are you…back?”

Goro stared into wide, warm, gunmetal eyes. He still couldn’t quite reconcile the monster that Joker was with the sweet, considerate man who was Akira.

He stopped caring, though.

“If you’ll have me,” the brunet whispered, pulling out the ring. It was a simple band, with two strings of metal that matched their eyes, intertwined.

Akira’s smile was wobbly as he held out his left hand. Goro slipped on the ring and, barely seconds later, Akira pulled him into a desperate kiss, grasping possessively at Goro. Behind them, the others cheered jubilantly and, again, Goro was struck at the idea that he’d interrupted a plan to murder someone with his proposal to the leader of said murderers.

But whatever path Akira chose, Goro would follow.

Akira pulled away, panting, and leaned his forehead against Goro’s. Even through the fogged glasses, Akira’s eyes were soft and kind. “I missed you so much, honey. It took so much for me to leave you be.”

“I’m…sorry it took so long for me to… _understand_ ,” Goro muttered. His head fell to Akira’s shoulder. “I missed you so much.”

“It’s okay, honey,” Akira soothed. “You’re back now…that’s all that matters.”

“I’m sorry I left. I just…got scared,” Goro continued, clutching at Akira.

“Oh, honey, I forgive you,” Akira kissed Goro’s temple. “You will always have me.”

“Not to interrupt the moment,” Makoto said after a few minutes, “but what did you mean by us thinking along similar lines, Akechi-kun?”

Goro pulled away, still in the circle of Akira’s arms. The look Akira cut towards Makoto for her interruption screamed of _Joker_ , and the whole room became strained. Goro, though, swallowed his fear and pecked his fiancé’s cheek. The shorter teen softened, burying his head in Goro’s neck to kiss there.

With _Joker_ sufficiently distracted, the room breathed again.

“Well, Niijima-chan,” Goro stated as seriously as he could with a serial killer marking his neck with bites, “I heard you talking about Masayoshi Shido. We can’t allow that man to become Prime Minister.”

“Why not?” Haru asked.

Goro’s brows furrowed. “He’s done truly terrible things, has had many people killed to get where he is. I…I believe he’s the one who ordered the hit on Futaba-chan’s mother, as well.”

Futaba stiffened, tears gathering in her eyes. “I _knew_ it.”

Goro glanced away. “He’s…also my biological father. He assaulted my mother, left her alone, accused her of trying to use me to gain leverage on him, and made her a social pariah. She eventually killed herself, because of him.”

“ _Goro_ ,” Akira said brokenly, abandoning his kisses and drawing Goro tighter for a hug. Goro accepted the comfort, breathing in the familiar scent of coffee and curry that always clung to Akira.

Sae was frowning softly. “ _That’s_ why you were so adamant about some of those cold cases. You believed Shido committed those crimes. You were trying to find proof to bring him in.”

Goro nodded. “But I couldn’t do it. And now there’s no time. If a man like him becomes Prime Minister, he’s sure to twist and destroy the laws of this country so that he can become a dictator.” Goro drew back again, looking determinately into Akira’s steel eyes. “You were right, Akira. This system has failed me—failed _us_ —too many times. If…If you still have my mask, I’ll be glad to wear it.”

Akira’s smile was beatific. “Welcome to the Phantom Thieves, _Crow_.”

Goro grinned back and hugged Akira tightly. “I love you, Akira. I _love_ you.”

“Oh, honey,” Akira breathed. “You have no idea how much I love you.”

* * *

Akira pet Goro’s hair gently as the brunet slept soundly on his chest. After their meeting, the team had a round of curry and sushi to celebrate having a new member and their next target. Akira promised to meet with Futaba and Makoto later, together with Goro, so they could plan out their next “heist”.

Akira was especially looking forward to this one, since this was the man who was the source of all of Goro’s misfortune. For Goro, Akira was willing to kill his own family.

The moment Akira had laid eyes on the amicable, cute brunet, Akira knew that Goro had to be _his_.

He wasn’t sure how to catch Goro’s attention, beyond possibly following the boy around, but fate was on his side. Goro, it seemed, was fascinated by Akira’s drab riposte to Goro’s opinion on TV; Goro _himself_ approached Akira, quoting Hegel like the endearing nerd he was, and asking to trade phone numbers and chat IDs.

That’s how Akira knew they were soulmates.

It was hard work to make sure Hifumi left Goro alone. Akira had his team and his family, sure, but Goro was always his number one priority. He had to be sure the same was true of Goro. It was easy to find the shogi player in the church, talk her into being friends, and put ideas in her head about how dangerous being near Goro could be.

People always said Akira had a way with words.

_Honestly, I’m kind of scared being around Akechi-kun so much, aren’t you?_

_He talks about those Phantom Thieves so much on TV…don’t you think they’ll attack him?_

_What if they kidnap someone close to him? What if they kidnap his friend’s families?_

_Aren’t you close to Akechi-kun? …Are you safe?_

_How traumatic would it be to watch your friend die?_

When Goro complained to him about Hifumi being unreasonable, it was nothing to soothe the brunet, to monopolize more of his time, and to show him that they needed no one else but each other.

Akira was only more assured that they were perfect for each other when Goro began seamlessly integrating with his new family. Despite her teasing, Futaba loved having Goro around, like another big brother. Their shared love of Featherman was perhaps the one thing Akira couldn’t understand, but he was glad they found a fellow confidant in each other. Boss approving of Goro and even agreeing to teach him how to brew coffee filled Akira with a light and happiness the likes of which he’d never thought he’d experience.

_Goro_ did that. After years, and years, and years, _and years_ of apathy, of disinterest, of _boredom_ —Goro was the thing that brought color and life to Akira’s dull world.

Akira knew that Goro was becoming suspicious of Akira, he knew he couldn’t hide it forever, but he didn’t quite know how to welcome Goro to the fold. Thankfully, a perfect solution in the form of Sae Niijima appeared. Makoto was against it at first.

But Akira had a way with words.

After a conversation, Makoto suddenly couldn’t wait to be rid of her sister.

Of course, Akira never intended to go through with it. Akira believed that Sae worked like them, if in a less permanent fashion. He respected her for that. But Akira was willing to sacrifice a few pawns to gain his king.

He knew Goro would stay with Sae; he knew the sweet, brave Detective Prince would put himself in danger to save his mentor.

He counted on it.

And once he saw the darkness in Goro that the brunet tried so desperately to hide, he worked to draw it out. He coaxed it, fed it compliments, soothed the fears that Goro had. And then, he let Goro leave.

Working at Crossroads had taught him to disguise himself well. Goro never noticed the brown-haired girl who watched him, too distracted with his own thoughts; he never noticed the classmates who sought him out, only to be deterred by that same girl; never saw Yusuke talking to the brown-haired girl, giving steady reports as to how his own efforts to isolate Goro were a success as well.

It was just a matter of time before Goro caved, but Akira was becoming impatient.

Thankfully, fate was _always_ on his side.

Masayoshi Shido, the man who who had screwed over Akira in his hometown, was running for Prime Minister. Akira was intent on killing him anyway, but to see his sweet, kind, _flawless_ Goro come back to Akira—apologize, even, for leaving—and request that they kill the man?

It was too perfect.

The ring on his finger fit wonderfully, and it matched the ring that Akira had purchased for Goro. Tomorrow, Akira would present it to the brunet. After this heist, maybe the thieves would retire for a bit. Goro, Haru, and Makoto had to focus on university, after all, and Akira didn’t really want anything interfering with the wedding. They should probably look for an apartment, as well. As much as Akira loved LeBlanc, living together was overly due.

Goro mumbled something in his sleep and Akira kissed his forehead and soothed him until the brunet was breathing deeply again. With a fond look, Akira wrapped his arms around Goro and snuggled the older teen. Goro smiled in his sleep, whispering Akira’s name sweetly.

Akira had always intended to make Goro Akechi his from the moment he laid eyes on the brunet. He had always planned to infect Goro with that same darkness within Akira, so that they would only need each other. He hadn’t expected that Goro would corrupt Akira with his innocence, so that Akira would be Goro’s as much as Goro was Akira’s.

He found he didn’t mind a little light in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Hahahah okay, I was like, I have no hope that I’ll finish this on time
> 
> BUT I'M GONNA TRY BITCH
> 
> Day 2: **Corruption / Masks** / Games


End file.
